Ko Pha Ngan featured promiently in Alex Garland's 1997 novel The Beach, and is also mentioned in the song Magick by the new rave band Klaxons' (but probably more as a reference to the 1997 novel The Beach than the island itself).
The infamous Full Moon Party, which often involves illegal drugs, occurs on Ko Pha Ngan every full moon of the month. Recently, though, steps have been taken to stop the drugs at these parties and make Ko Pha Ngan into a more family-friendly tourist destination.
